Apparatus for handling cartons of different sizes



Dec. 2, 1969 V E. E. HAGELINE 3,481,105

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING CARTONS OF DIFFERENT SIZES Filed Feb. 13, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR: EMIL E. HAGELI NE ATT' YS Dec. 2, 1969 E. E. HAGELINE 3,481,105

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING CARTONS OF DIFFERENT SIZES Filed Feb. 13, 1967 1 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent US. Cl. 5363 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for lowering tiers of cartons into a case in which a counter mechanism controls the number of tiers to be deposited.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 574,448, filed Aug. 23, 1966, now abandoned.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In my earlier application I disclosed apparatus for grouping cartons for deposition into a case. As in the earlier case, the instant invention finds utility with respect to milk cartons, exemplified by the gable variety, although other carton shapes and bottles generally of lastic and glass constitution may be used equally advantageously. My earlier machine was adapted to work with only one size carton, i.e., such as installing a single tier of nine half-gallon cartons into a case. This invention goes further and is adapted to deposit alternately a single tier of sixteen quarts, a double tier of pints with the first tier having sixteen cartons and the second tier twelve or sixteen cartons, still further a double tier of one-third quarts with each tier having sixteen cartons, and lastly depositing three tiers of half pints, the two lower tiers each containing sixteen cartons while the uppermost tier contains sixteen or twelve cartons as is dictated by the height of the case. The provision of apparatus capable of such versatile operation constitutes an object of the instant invention.

The invention is described in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the inventive apparatus and wherein view is taken from the cartonentering end of the apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view such as would be seen viewing from the left side of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is the opposite side elevation view such as would be seen looking from the righthand side of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the rear side of the apparatus and which features the counting mechanism employed for varying the operation of the machine for filling cases with different numbers of cartons.

In the illustration given and with particular reference to FIG. 1, the numeral designates generally a frame for the apparatus which is also designated in FIGS. 2 and 3. The frame supports a cross-slat conveyor 11, the upper run of which operates in essentially a horizontal lane. The conveyor 11 is operative to advance cartons serially to the right in FIG. 1 where they are engaged by a pusher mechanism generally designated 12. The pusher mechanism is seen to include a plate 13 attached to a cross-bar 14. In turn, the cross-bar 14 is secured to shaft 15 (see also FIG. 3) which are secured to an air cylinder generally designated 16. Thus reciprocation of the air cylinder 16 moves the pusher 13 to shove a group of cartons (say four cartons) onto a platform 16a (see 3,481,105 Patented Dec. 2, 1969 "ice FIG. 1). After a given number of cartons are aggregated (say sixteen cartons resulting from reciprocations of the pusher 13), the cartons are transferred laterally (perpendicular to the path of travel of conveyor 11) for gripping by a head generally designated 17. This transfer embraces three distinct movements. First there is a vertical elevation of the cartons followed by actual lateral movement, and thereafter an additional vertical elevation. After that the cartons are deposited into a case being moved by a lower horizontally traveling conveyor generally designated 18. The sequence of moves generally parallels that referred to in previously issued, co-owned Patents Nos. 3,047,990 and 3,190,052. Reference may be had to those patents as well as the above-identified copending application for additional details and construction not shown here.

The above-referred to application was concerned with apparatus for the handling of a group of cartons after they had been aggregated on the platform 16a. The instant invention goes beyond and is concerned with controlling the number of tiers of cartons installed in a case (not shown) but which is advanceable horizontally along the case conveyor 18. In the operation where only a single tier of cartons is to be deposited in a case, i.e., sixteen quart cartons, the head 17 is permitted to lower by gravity, pressure fiuid being removed from the vertically extending cylinder 19 (see FIG. 1). The piston rod 20 of the cylinder 19 is extended therefrom by the weight of the head 17 during its gravity descent until the head engages an air switch 21 (see FIG. 1). The air switch 21, when actuated, causes the gripper head bars 22 (see FIG. 2) to separate to deposit the aggregated cartons within a case on the conveyor 18. If no case is positioned on the conveyor 18, a switch associated with the case-sensing and stopping switch mechanism 23 (see FIG. 2) prevents the head 17 from lowering.

Provision is made for retracting the piston rod 20 and thus the head 17, in the form of a second switch 24 (see FIG. 1) mounted on the head 17. The cylinder 19 is a double-acting cylinder and pressure fluid is admitted to the upper end at a fixed rate and bled from the lower end correspondingly. Thus, the piston rod 20 of the cylinder 19 serves as a brake for the lowering of the head 17. When, however, the head 17 bottoms, the piston rod 20 continues to extend until it actuates the switch 24 whereupon the flow of pressure fluid into and out of the cylinder 19 is reversed and the head 17 is elevated. For this purpose, the head 17 is equipped with a horizontal bar 25 (again see FIG. 1) which is equipped with an aperture for the receipt of the piston rod 20. During the lowering of the head, the piston rod 20 is pulled down by the bar 25 and during elevation of the head 17, the bar 25 serves as a portion of the head 17 against which the piston rod 20 operates to pull the head up.

Reference is now made to FIG. 4 which includes the counting mechanism for determining how many times the head 17 reciprocates in order to fill a given case. In FIG. 4, the numeral 26 designates generally a sub-frame of the machine (in the illustration given the rear portion of the frame) which supports the cylinder 19. The frame is equipped with a vertically extending guide 27 which supports a ratchet member 28. The ratchet member 28 is restrained against downward movement by means of a spring-loaded dog 29. The ratchet member is seen to have a series of teeth which are engaged by a raising dog member 30 as well as the spring-loaded dog 29. After a tier of cartons has been deposited in the case and the piston rod 20 contacts the switch 24, a counter cylinder 31 is actuated by switch 24 to retract its piston rod and lower the dog 30 into its alternative dotted line position 30'. The return of the dog member 30 to its solid line position thus raises the ratchet member 28 one step, i.e., one notch. After a predetermined number of stepwise elevations, the upper end of the ratchet member 28 engages the contact wheel 32 of the main control switch 33. This signals the conclusion of a filling operation. More particularly, the main control switch 33 serves to open the case stop mechanism 23, permitting a case to be conducted out of the frame by the chain conveyor 18.

At this juncture, a reset trip lever 34 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) is engaged by the case issuing from the frame 10 and a signal from the lever actuates the counter-reset cylinder 35 (see FIG. 4). The reset cylinder 35 extends its piston 36 causing the ratchet member 28 to move to the dotted line position 28 shown in FIG. 4 and off of the dogs 29 and 30 to descend to original or starting position. Simultaneously, the signal from the reset lever 34 deactivates the main control valve 33 and also resets the casestopping mechanism 23 to case-holding position.

In the multiple tier operation, when switch 21 is actuated, not only is the head 22 open but a relay (not shown) is activated. On subsequent head lowering, the switch 24 is activated to both signal opening of the head and retraction thereofthe switch 21 thus being operative to control the opening of the head only on the lowering of the first tier.

A safety means in the nature of switch 37 (see FIG. 2) is provided on the main frame 10. When the head 17 is lowered, a by-pass dog (not shown) passes by switch 37. However, upon the raising of the head 17, the dog actuates the switch 37. The switch 37 is operatively coupled to the case-stop mechanism 23 to open the same-much the same as the main control switch 33, Even though the switch 37 is actuated, it is incapable of actuating the mechanism 23 unless it is suitably pressurized with air. This occurs when the gripper head 17 is unable to deposit its cartons as where an improperly positioned or deformed case prevents opening of the head. In such an instance, air pressure is retained on the head to maintain grip on the cartons and the same air pressure is communicated to the switch 37 so as to open the mechanism 23.

Previously it was mentioned that under some conditions, I prefer to deposit what I term a short tier, i.e., twelve as contrasted to sixteen cartons. This is because complete multiple tiers of certain height cartons would exceed the height of the case. Thus, a short tier permits a layer or tier of cartons to be installed wherein the cartons lay partially at an angle and thus within the confines of. the case.

For this purpose, I provide a short tier signal valve 38 which is mounted on a bracket 39 pivotally mounted on the frame 10. When the apparatus is operating on cartons that require a short tier for the proper filling of a case, the bracket 39 is pivoted about the bolt 3911 from the dotted line position 39' to the solid line position seen in FIG. 4 and maintained in that position by means of a wing-nut 40. The actuator 41 of the valve 38 is engaged by a projection 42 provided on the ratchet member 28 as the ratchet member 28 is elevated on its last step so as to pivot a pusher return member 43 (see FIG. 3) out of the Way of the pusher mechanism including the elements 14-16. Thus, the pusher mechanism is adapted to move further to the right in FIG. 3 and thus position a short tier in a proper location below the head 17.

The machine is readily converted from one multiple tier operation to another or to a single tier operation merely by resetting a base plate 44 in a desired position (see FIG. 4). By loosening the nut 45 on its associated bolts, the plate 44 is movable horizontally to a different position and thus limits downward movement of the ratchet member 28 by virtue of the engagement of one of the steps or shoulders of plate 44 with a projection 28a on the member 28.

While in the foregoing specification a detailed disclosure of the invention has been set down for the purpose of illustration, many variations in the details hereingiven may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for handling cartons of different sizes wherein a frame is positioned astride a generally horizontally traveling case conveyor, carriage means on said frame for depositing a group of cartons simultaneously into a case restrained on said conveyor within said frame, release means on said frame for releasing a case for travel upon said conveyor after a predetermined number of carton tiers has been deposited in said case, an improved control system for said depositing means comprising counting means on said frame, first switch means on said frame responsive to movement of said carriage means for actuating said counter means, said counter means including a ratchet bar slidably mounted on said frame, pawl means rotatably mounted on said frame and engaging said ratchet bar, piston means on said frame for reciprocating said pawl means whereby said ratchet bar is advanced, said piston means being actuated by said first switch means, second switch means on said frame for actuating said release means, said second switch means being actuated by said ratchet bar after predetermined movement thereof.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which reset means are operably associated with said conveyor in the path of travel of a case exiting from said frame, second piston means on said frame engageable with said ratchet bar for disengaging said bar from said pawl means whereby said bar is returnable to its original position, said second piston means being actuated by said reset means.

3. The structure of claim 1 including means for disengaging said pawl means from said ratchet bar whereby said bar is returnable to its original position, a plate slidably mounted on said frame and provided with a plurality of shoulders, stop means on said ratchet bar engageable with a selected one of said shoulders for limiting return movement of said ratchet bar, reciprocable pusher means on said frame for advancing a tier of cartons horizontally under said carriage means, third switch means on said frame operably associated with said pusher means for varying the stroke of said pusher means to provide a reduced number of cartons in the last tier to be deposited in said case, and projection means on said ratchet bar for actuating said third switch means after predetermined movement of said ratchet bar.

4. The structure of claim 1 in which said carriage means includes a vertically movable piston and gripper means slidably carried by said vertically movable piston for gripping said cartons, said first switch means being operable by said vertically movable piston after fixed downward movement thereof, the downward movement of said gripper means being limited by the number of carton tiers in said case, said vertically movable piston being movable downwardly to actuate said second switch means after downward movement of said gripper means is limited by carton tiers in said case.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,031,810 5/1962 MacLeod 53--62 3,159,954 12/1964 Holland et a1 5361 3,273,304 9/1966 Winter et al 53-61 TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 53-164, 201 

